MESSAGE FROM THE CEO New Credential Recognizes Infection Prevention Expertise A


SC professionals with specialized knowledge and skills in infection prevention can now demonstrate their expertise through an infection


prevention certification program introduced this year by the Board of Ambulatory Surgery Certification (BASC). The new Certified Ambulatory Infection Preventionist (CAIP) program also provides an opportunity for infection preventionists (IP) working in the ASC setting to distinguish themselves from IPs who work in other settings and to demonstrate their commitment to best practices in infection prevention and control. Given the high priority ASCs place on infection prevention and the extensive requirements they need to meet in this area, the value of a program of this kind has been evident for some time. BASC’s experience developing and administering the Certified Administrator Surgery Center (CASC) certification program made it the logical choice to develop and implement this program. The BASC Board began working on the CAIP program in 2015. It assembled


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a group of ASC IPs to perform a job analysis to determine the body of knowledge a CAIP credential holder would be expected to understand. This analysis served as the basis for the exam questions that CAIP candidates must answer correctly to get the credential. To be eligible to take the CAIP exam, an applicant must be a licensed health care professional responsible for an ASC’s infection prevention program; have at least two years of cumulative experience in infection prevention or hold the Certification in Infection Prevention and Control or CIC credential; and have 10 contact hours in infection prevention education over the last two years. Credential holders will need to complete additional continuing education (CE) requirements to retain the credential over time. BASC will offer the first exam for the certification program October 1–31, 2018, in testing centers around the country. Electronic applications for the October testing period will be accepted August 1–31, 2018. During two full days of infection prevention programming, ASCA 2018— April 11–14 in Boston, Massachusetts—will provide attendees with the opportunity to earn 9.5 of the 10 continuing education (CE) credits they need to qualify for the exam. Sessions will focus on topics ranging from the ASC infection preventionist’s role and performing an infection prevention risk assessment to using Medicare’s ASC infection control worksheet to drive improvement and endoscope reprocessing. Learn more at www.ascassociation.org/asca2018/home. Learn more about CAIP at www.aboutcaip.org.


Bill Prentice Chief Executive Officer


ASC FOCUS APRIL 2018 |www.ascfocus.org


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